Tanked
by hideunspoken
Summary: From Stephenie Meyer's The Host. Ian wakes up and finds Wanda has probably gone to Doc until Wanda wakes up in the hospital in Pet’s body. In other words, the time while Wanda was in the cryotank. Chapters switch from Ian and Melanie’s points of view.
1. Chapter 1: Almost Lost

**A/N: Here is Ian's point of view, after he wakes up without Wanda. The chapters will be relatively short because I will need to change points of view before I can continue with certain points of the story. Please review! Hope you like it.**

I woke to a bad headache. I groaned as I rolled over to my side to hold Wanda again and became disoriented when I couldn't find her warm body. I peeled my eyes open to find myself alone in my room, and I jumped up automatically, bolting to the door. Wanda was becoming a good liar, and I believed her final lie. _No! _I thought to myself. Not final.

I ran along the southern tunnel where I heard a faint sound of someone crying. Maybe Wanda didn't go through with it yet. My hopes were rising until I saw Jared through the dim light, tears running down his face as he looked up at me, guiltily. I almost succumbed to the rage surging through my veins. I wanted to punch him, to beat him, to kill him, but there was no time. I didn't break pace when I just flew by him, hoping I would make it to Doc in time.

I could hear Jared's footsteps behind me when he got up and began to run after me.

"Ian—," he yelled, "I'm so sorry!"

_Sorry?_ I scoffed. Sorry didn't cut it. He knew Wanda was with Doc now and he just let her go. That vile creature didn't care about her. He wasn't truly sorry.

I ignored Jared and quickened my pace. I burst into Doc's room and found him standing there, crying. As I observed the room I saw Wanda's body lying across a gurney. Doc was standing over it, crying, his hands covered in red and silver blood, but on top of all of that was a silver, gleaming soul. It was not moving lightly in his hand, like a feathery ribbon, which I had seen before. It was writhing, with what could only be described as pain.

My heart dropped and it took me a few second before I could find my voice, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I screamed. I ran over to get a cryotank and flipped the latch open.

"Give her to me!" I demanded.

"She…didn't…want…" he managed to get through his sobs. I dismissed this and took Wanda, gently from his hands and slid her through the opening of the cylinder tank.

When Wanda was safely inside the tank, I turned to see Doc, still crying, as he sewn up _Melanie's_ wound.

"What were you thinking?" I asked, my voice rough and hard.

"I'm so sorry. I promised. She forced me to promise her," Doc said, finally getting control over his voice.

"What happened?"

I turned to see that Jared had entered the room, slightly panting, with a confused look as he glanced from Melanie, to Doc, to me, then to the cryotank in my hand, with dull red light.

"I broke her promise. I'm so sorry," Doc whispered to himself, not noticing the raised tension as Jared entered the room.

I glared at Jared, deciding what to do. I want to run over to him, to kill him, but I couldn't let Wanda out of my arms for a second. A light moan interrupted my thoughts as I looked around for the source. My eyes landed on Melanie's body, which was slowly turning over. Her eyes squinted, still shut, as if she were wincing in pain. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Wanda's gone. She did it. She's gone," she cried. My eyes stared at her, wide with wonder and terror. This body, which I have known so long to be Wanda, was no longer hers. It was strange to see her speaking and moving, but I knew that it was _not_ Wanda.

Melanie was sitting up, her eyes now open and searching across the room. I was still unseen when her eyes stopped on Jared. Their reunion was short. A simple kiss, when Melanie began to cry again. She pulled away and finally noticed me in the room.

I closed my eyes to hide the tears and took a deep breath. There was nothing left I could do here, so I turned and headed to my room to think, with Wanda still cradled in my arms.


	2. Chapter 2: Gaining Control

**A/N: Here is Melanie's point of view of when she wakes up, with what I hope to be a much better version of the reunion, since I know a few of you were disappointed. I just didn't think Ian would go into much detail of it, because he was so hurt already. Well enjoy and please Review!**

For the first time in a long time, I could feel my chest heave in and out. I was controlling my breathing. I lightly raised my pinkie finger, and it did as I asked. I began to slowly roll over, moaning as my body obliged to do so. I still didn't open my eyes, but I winced slightly as I came to a sudden realization. I could feel the tears fall on my face. I searched my head in vain. I knew Wanda was no longer here.

"Wanda's gone. She did it. She's gone," I cried. She was probably already with Walter and Wes by now. I wondered how long it took me to wake up. I peeled my eyes open and stared at the ceiling. I could see the holes and stars, but just barely since my eyes were still flooded with tears. I sat up slowly and looked around the familiar room, though it felt like I had never been here before. The first thing I saw was Doc, staring at me gravely, but my eyes kept searching. I found Jared's beautiful face. He gasped quietly in recognition and ran to me. He kissed my lips roughly and I followed his lead. This was what I have been waiting for many long months and it was worth it. His lips burned fire against mine, and we were so closely woven together, I was sure you couldn't tell that we were two separate bodies. It was just Jared and I, just like before. Before…Wanda. The realization struck me once again and I pulled away, unwillingly, from Jared's warm lips, yet still clutching him closely to me. I finished my search of the room, when my eyes landed on Ian. Silent tears were streaming from his face. I saw the pain in Ian's eyes and I knew mine could match his. I loved Wanda. Tears began to well up in my eyes again. Ian closed his eyes once they connected with mine. He took a deep breath and turned to walk away.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked, once Ian was out of earshot.

"She's gone… dead. Is she with Wes and Walter yet?" I asked, turning to Doc, surprised that I was able to form so many words.

"Dead?! No, of course not," Jared answered, "What do you mean?" I remembered that he wasn't aware of the last part to Wanda's plan.

"She wanted to die. She didn't want to move to a new planet. No, she wanted to be buried with Wes and Walter. She made Doc promise." I was still crying as I answered, until I realized all of what Jared had said. He automatically replied _no, of course not_. How was he so sure of himself?

"What do you mean when you say 'No, of course not.'?" I asked, now bewildered.

"Well, Ian had a cryotank. I looked and the light was a dull red. That was Wanda, right Doc?" Jared asked, and we both turned to Doc searching for an answer.

"I did promise, and I just let Ian save her. I couldn't tell him no. He was so upset, so I allowed him to put her into a cryotank. I don't know what we'll do now."

"We just need a plan. We need to talk to Jeb," I said, and Doc and Jared nodded in agreement.

* * *

The three of us walked to Jeb's cave, which was recognizable hundreds of yards away due to his thunderous snoring. Doc, being the bravest, approached Jeb and shook him awake.

"Ungh," Jeb grunted, "What's wrong?"

"Well, it's Wanda," Doc said.

"What's the problem, Wanda?" Jeb asked, staring at me. I looked at him with a pained expression and gently shook my head.

"Melanie," he whispered, after a long silence, "What happened Doc? We discussed this."

"I know we did, but it didn't rule out the promise I made to Wanda. She would only tell me how to perform an insertion if I promised to take her out of Melanie's body and let her die. She wanted to be buried with Wes and Walter."

"You let her die, Doc? Without consulting anyone?" Jeb began to become frantic. He was usually skilled at hiding his emotions, but he didn't even attempt to. The worry and sadness spread across his face quickly.

"No, she isn't dead! Ian walked in and put her in a cryotank. She is going to be very unhappy when she realizes I betrayed her last wishes," Doc sighed in melancholy, "There is no simple decision, Jeb, which is why we have come to you. We don't know what to do now."

"Hmmm… this isn't going to be easy. We need to think of what Wanda really wants, how she can really be happy," Jeb glanced up at me and asked, "What do you suppose we do Melanie? You know her probably more than anyone around here. What do you think is best for Wanda?"

I was shocked when he asked me to make the decision. Sure, I knew Wanda more than anyone, but how do I know what she wants now? She didn't think of what she would want if she didn't die.

"Well, personally I think the best thing would be to do what Jared suggested, and get her a new body. The only problem is that Wanda doesn't wanted to be a parasite. She feels too bad for the humans who own the body she takes. I don't know what will make her happy."

"This isn't going to be easy, so I think that it is best if we really think about it before we make a decision. Wanda is safe in her cryotank for now, so we can take a bit of time to do what is right for her, and everyone else. Where is she now?" Jeb asked.

"She's with Ian. He is pretty upset, Jeb. I think you should talk to him," Doc suggested.

"Okay, I'll get to doing that in a few hours. It's probably best to give him a bit of time alone. Plus, I don't want to be scaring anyone with the way I look this early in the morning." Jeb said, mentally dismissing us.

"We'll see you in the morning then, Jeb." Jared said, pulling my arm gently as we began to make our way out of Jeb's cave.

"Oh and Melanie," Jeb said from behind me, until turned around, "welcome to the caves. It's all going to work out."


	3. Chapter 3: Kyle and Jodi

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update, but here it is. This is Mel's point of view, continued right after the last chapter. Enjoy and Review! **

Jared, Doc, and I began to walk back to the hospital. It was strange to have such knowledge of the caves, with the same feeling that I had never been there. The walk back was quiet, and I was mainly focusing on Jared's warm hand in mine. It felt right.

Doc was walking, a bit sluggishly, behind us. He must have been exhausted, physically and mentally. Once in the hospital, I went straight over to a cot and sat down, Jared still by my side.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"I just want to stay here for a while. I don't know what to say to Jamie just yet," I replied. As much as I wanted to see Jamie, I couldn't help but be afraid of his reaction. He loved Wanda and I equally, and his emotions were sure to be torn when I told him.

Jared sat quietly next to me, with his head on my shoulder while I observed Doc. Doc was counting Jodi's pulse and listening to her breathing, first having to lift the sleeping Kyle off of her chest.

I could _kind of_ see Kyle as sweet when he was sleeping. I figured most of his animosity towards the souls was due to his loss of Jodi. He kind of reminded me of Jared. If he had never lost me, and we came to the caves together, maybe he wouldn't have been so hostile towards a soul.

Doc shook Kyle awake, and this made me focus because I was confused as to why Doc was waking him up.

"Kyle, wake up. I need to talk to you," Doc said.

"Huh? What? What's wrong?" Kyle asked, jolting awake. He was on his feet in less that a second.

"Just sit down. We need to talk…now." Doc said solemnly. I could feel Jared beginning to stir, as if he had just waken up himself.

"I have been monitoring Jodi to see if she is making any progress to response, but she isn't. I don't think she is there anymore. Her breathing is slowly decreasing, along with her heart rate. We have no way to feed her, and the body is beginning to suffer. We can't continue to put her through this."

Tears began to slide down Kyle's face, making him look innocent and vulnerable. That was an expression I had never seen on him.

"What are the options?" he asked, with no hope in his voice.

"Well, we could stop giving her water, and let life take its natural course, if you want her to die human, or…" Doc paused.

"Or what?" Kyle asked.

"Or we could re-insert Sunny. I know it isn't the same, but Sunny loved it here, and she loved you. I understand if you would rather not, though. This body belongs to you, and it's your decision. However, it should be made quite soon. The body shouldn't suffer for much longer."

Minutes passed and Kyle stared at Jodi's body. He finally bent over and kissed her gently on the forehead and whispered, "Good-bye Jodi. I love you."

He then turned to Doc and said, louder, "I want you to re-insert Sunny. She was so sweet and kind. She deserves to come back, if Jodi can't."

Doc took Kyle's pause as a cue, and he began to get his tools and the medicines ready. He washed his hands, unnecessarily, but he seemed satisfied. Jared stood up and helped Kyle turn Jodi's body over. Kyle swept Jodi's hair from her neck to reveal the light scar.

Kyle held one of Jodi's hands in his own. Arrays of emotions were spread across his face. Sadness, nervousness, but in the midst of all of that, he seemed to accept her. When Kyle gave Doc the cryotank, I stood from the cot and reached out to his other hand. He flinched slightly, and I realized that he still thought I was Wanda. I went to withdraw my hand, but Kyle took hold of it more confidently. I squeezed it tightly to give support. He responded, squeezing my hand tighter when Doc brought the scalpel to Jodi's neck. He made a skilled incision and stopped when silver blood began to seep through.


	4. Chapter 4: The Perfect Solution

**A/N: Thanks for all the hits, alerts, favs, and reviews. I really appreciate it! Well, enjoy the next chapter, still in Mel's point of view. Please review!**

Doc turned to me. "Melanie, do you know how to perform the insertion? I've never seen it done."

"Yeah, I remember Wanda telling me about it. It isn't difficult. The soul does most of the work, but I'll do it for you," I replied, and let go of Kyle's hand so I could walk over to Doc. At first, I thought I would have to pry my hand free from Kyle, until his hold grew slack. I looked up at him and he was staring at me with his mouth gaped open.

"Melanie?" he asked.

"Ah, yes. I forgot to tell you. Wanda was taken out of Melanie's body. We'll have more time to play catch up later, but I would like to do this as quickly and pain-free as possible," Doc said.

Kyle seemed to snap out of his trance-like state and put his focus back onto Jodi and Sunny. Jared had been working vigorously the past few minutes: giving Jodi the No Pain, readying the cryotank, and now he was waiting a bit impatiently to finish the procedure.

I stepped in Doc's place and said, "Okay, Jared. Hand me Sunny."

Jared flipped the final latch and gently tilted the tank downward, so the soul could gently slide out. It was such a beautiful thing to hold. Although I had the memories of seeing these souls, I was stunned by the impossible beauty.

"Mel?" Jared had to ask, so I would gain my focus.

"Oh right." I took my left hand and opened the sides of the skin on Jodi's neck. I brought my right hand slowly to the opening and gently tilted it. Sunny glided in and I watched as her feathery limbs spread through and around the muscles and brain. Once she stopped moving and seemed secure enough, I allowed Doc to patch her up. It was just like before. I had taken Wanda's place. I dealt with the soul, while Doc tended to the body. He cleaned, healed and sealed her while Jared and I stepped back to give her some room. Doc and Kyle turned her over, so she wouldn't wake up face down.

Within a few moments, Sunny's eyed were fluttering open.

"Sunny?" Kyle asked. She let out a small groan.

"Kyle? What happened?" she asked.

"She wasn't there. We couldn't let her body die, and since you loved it here so much, we didn't think you would mind staying. Do you?"

"No, of course I don't mind. I do love it here," Sunny exclaimed as her eyes began to tear up.

"Let's go take a walk," Jared whispered to me.

"Okay," We left the hospital hand in hand and slowly walked, aimlessly.

"What a perfect solution. Sunny got to stay. Good for her," I sighed.

"Yeah, perfect solution," Jared murmured beside me faintly.

I was startled when he jumped and almost shouted, "The solution! That's what we can do! We can get Wanda a body with a human that is no longer there. She won't be a parasite, because no one owns the body. We can just send the soul off to another planet. It's perfect."

I stared at him for a moment, deliberating. I couldn't tell why my feelings were hurt at first. Then, I noticed the enthusiasm in his voice. He wanted Wanda back. I knew this _shouldn't_ bother me. He loved me more, and I knew that, but it didn't stop my heart giving a small squeeze. I tried to wipe all expression from my face before I could answer convincingly. I was a much better liar than Wanda, or Jared even.

"That might work. I don't think she would complain too much if we did that. Well, Wanda never really does complain, so I think it will work." I said, putting an emotion of relief in my voice to outweigh the sadness, but it wasn't difficult. I was relieved. I missed Wanda too and I was grateful there was a way to have her back.

"Well, what now?" I asked.

"We should tell Jeb. It's been almost two hours, and this is important news." Jared replied. We began to make our way, once again, to Jeb's cave, but we knew immediately that he wasn't there by the absence of snores. We checked the garden areas, the kitchens, the washrooms, but we found no evidence of Jeb's presence. We walked back to the hospital to ask Doc if he had seen Jeb, which is where we found him. Doc seemed to be updating Jeb on the Kyle/Jodi/Sunny situation. We stayed at the entrance, waiting for them to finish up.

Finally, Jeb noticed us in the entryway and said, "Melanie, Jared. How is everything?"

"Better, actually. We've found a solution." Jared said, and he launched into an explanation of the perfect solution for Wanda. I sat quietly, waiting for him to finish before I added my closing comment.

Once Jared finished talking, I began before Jeb could, "I think you should talk to Ian about this, Jeb. Who knows what he has been doing or thinking the past few hours. Wanda wanted him to be taken care of when she left."

Jeb thought it over for a minute and replied, "I agree. I'll go talk to him and tell him everything." He sighed as he walked out of the hospital, in the direction of Ian's room.


	5. Chapter 5: Explanation

**A/N: Here is a short chapter in Ian's point of view. Enjoy, and remember: Reviews are inspiration!**

My room seemed darker somehow. I missed the blush of Wanda's cheeks and her shy little smiles. Her absence sent me into a dim depression. I should have seen it coming. She was so intent on doing the "right" thing. She just didn't understand that we _needed_ her. _I _needed her. Never before had a person have this effect on me.

For the past few hours, I just sat huddled up near the head of my bed, cradling Wanda in my arms. I wonder how she feels in there. There are so many questions that I still haven't asked her. What are we going to do now? The last thing I wanted is for her to be angry with my decision to keep her. Is there a flawless result that will satisfy everyone? I was having my doubt when someone knocked outside my door.

"Come in," I said, surprised at how strong my voice sounded. Jeb entered, and shut the door behind him.

"Hello, Ian," Jeb said formally, "How is everything?"

"To be quite honest, terrible," I said, bluntly.

"Well, I have a feeling that things will improve from here on out," he said, with a kind smile.

"And how is that supposed to happen?"

"Well Melanie has presented me with a solution, that I feel will please everyone," Jeb paused, waiting for me to answer, but I remained silent, "Well, don't you want to ask what it is?"

"I suppose. What is it?"

"Well, I was just in Doc's office, and I discovered that Sunny was put back into Jodi's body. It seems that her body was dying, so Kyle made the decision to put Sunny back in there, and that got Melanie thinking. We can get Wanda a body with a human that is no longer there. She said she didn't want to be a parasite anymore, but she won't be a parasite, because no one owns the body. We can just send the soul off to another planet. I don't think Wanda would be too upset with that plan. What do you think?" Jeb asked.

I sat contemplating the plan for several minutes before replying, "That doesn't sound too bad, I guess."

"And you could choose the body, if you'd like," he added, in attempt to cheer me up.

"No. I won't leave her. I don't care what she looks like."

"Okay, then. It's up to you. Well, I need to go prepare myself a little speech to explain this to the rest of the caves. You could come down to the main hall in about an hour, if you're up to it."

"I'll think about coming down," I said, "I haven't really slept in a while, so I might try to catch up on some sleep."

"Well g'night then," Jeb said as he stepped out of my lonely room.

I turned over to my side, and stretched out my legs, my arm still wrapped around Wanda's cryotank.

I lightly kissed the latch and said, "Good night, Wanda."


	6. Chapter 6: Jamie

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since an update, but I have been dreading writing this chapter. My biggest worry is to write too much out of character, so I hope I did this to many of your liking. Well, here is Mel's point of view in her reunion with Jamie. Please review and tell me what you think.**

I sat lightly on the edge of the bed, waiting for Jamie to wake. I wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but I wanted him to sleep just a little while longer, so I could gather my thoughts.

Although it was nice to be in control again, and with Jared, I couldn't help but dread what I needed to do. I had to speak to Jamie. His reaction was the one that I was most worried about. Just like Wanda, I knew Ian and Jared's opinions were obvious in Wanda and my case, but Jamie thought of us as one. He loved us both equally and he would be emotionally torn between my return and Wanda's departure. I was nervous and afraid, but my yearning to see him overruled all emotion, giving me the strength to be here alone to explain. Jared had gone to find Jeb to talk about the raid for Wanda's body, leaving me alone to see Jamie. I wasn't prepared to face the rest of the caves yet, since technically, I was a stranger to them.

Jamie began to stir and my heart pounded through my ears. His eyes fluttered open and he said groggily, "Morning, Wanda." At this, my eyes began to tear up and Jamie became more focused.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm.

"Well…Wanda is sort of…gone." I forced the words out, wording them incorrectly.

"Gone? What do you…Mel?" he asked as his eyes became comprehending.

"Yeah, it's me," I said, staring at the floor. Not being able to keep my eyes off of Jamie much longer, I looked up through my eyelashes. Jamie stared for a moment and I could almost hear the clicking in his brain as he began to understand. Unexpectedly, he jumped up and gave me a hug. I squeezed him back so fiercely, never wanting to loose him again.

"I love you, Mel," he said in a thick tone. I pulled back slightly to see his eyes streaming with tears.

"I'm so sorry," I managed to say through my own tears.

"I'm really glad you're completely back, Mel, but Wanda is gone. How could she just leave without saying goodbye? I thought she loved me too, but now she's off to a whole different planet."

I had been so overwhelmed with emotion of talking to Jamie that it took a moment for me to realize that I had been very vague.

"But she's coming back Jamie. Jared and I have it all figured out. We are going to get her another human body and send the soul living in it off to another planet. She's going to stay." I decided to leave out the part where Wanda was planning on dying, since that would upset Jamie.

"Really? That's great! Can I help you pick out her body? Please?" he asked excitedly, his voice changing emotions faster than I had ever seen.

"Yeah, I suppose that'd be fine, but you're not allowed to even _touch_ a knife while we're on the raid," I said, grinning. Jamie pulled me in for another hug and I sighed happily. Life was going to work out. At least the worst of anything was over, and it hadn't gone nearly as bad as I thought.

"What about everyone else?" Jamie asked, "Who knows about you and Wanda?"

"So far, Jeb, Doc, Jared, and Ian. I think Jeb'll tell everyone else, but I should probably go ask him," I replied.

"Oh, right," Jamie said in a somber tone, and I became confused.

"What?" I asked.

"Ian. I forgot about him. How has he taken everything?"

"Oh. He is a bit upset, but I'm sure he's fine now. Jeb's talked to him. I bet he'll be better once we get a body for Wanda."

"I better go see him. Do you want to come?" he asked.

"Hmmm… I don't know how happy he will be to see me."

"I think he'll be okay," Jamie assured me.

"If you think so…" I began.

"I do. Now, let's go see if he needs anything."

And Jamie grabbed my hand and leapt off of the bed pulling me along. It was strange to feel the strength of a man behind his grasp. Jamie and I set off for Ian's room. A new kind of fear was bubbling inside me now. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to see Ian. He was sure to be angry with me. _I _was angry with me. I wish I had more strength to force Wanda not to get rid of herself. I just had to compel myself to think that it will all work out in the end. Everything will go as planned. Everyone will be happy. But as I thought this, I had a small shiver of worry when a little voice in the back of my head said _And maybe it won't._


	7. Chapter 7: The Visit

**A/N: I want to thank all of my faithful readers and those who review after every chapter. I really appreciate it. Now, I surprised myself at how long this scene turned out to be. It was **_**supposed**_** to be the scene where Jeb tells the caves about everything, but if I added that in here, the chapter would have been too long with a weird transition in the middle. So anyway, here is Mel, Jamie, and Ian's talk.**

Jamie and I were getting close to approaching Ian's room when Jared met up with us.

"Hey Mel. Hey Jamie. I've been looking for you guys. I was just talking to Jeb and he says he's rounding up the rest of the caves to tell them about the…er…situation. Everyone is meeting in the main hall in about twenty minutes or so. Are you going to go?" he asked, turning towards me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. I needed to face everyone sooner or later, but this was bound to be awkward.

"Hmmm… well, Jamie wanted to go see Ian. Maybe afterwards," I said, avoiding making a decision.

"Well, I'm going to go back to Jeb. We were just discussing the raid for Wanda. I'll see you later, okay?" Jared said.

"Okay," I replied. Jared kissed me lightly on the cheek before turning in the direction of the main hall. Jamie and I continued walking towards Ian's room until we were outside of the mismatched doors. I knocked gently.

"Come in," said a rough voice behind the doors.

Jamie set one of the doors aside and I took a deep breath before stepping in. Ian was lying motionless on his bed with his eyes staring at the ceiling, and I noticed Wanda tucked under his right arm. He sat straight up upon our arrival, but after looking into my eyes he slowly melted back onto his bed. In the glimpse that I saw him face on, I noticed his bloodshot eyes and streaks down his face where tears had once fallen. Now, however, he was not crying, or blinking for that matter.

Jamie walked over to the bed opposite Ian and sat down, while I stayed in the entryway.

"Hi, Ian," Jamie said in a small whisper.

"Hey Jamie. Mel," Ian replied, making small recognition of my presence. I knew this was a bad idea. Ian was upset with me, and I could understand that. I thought it'd be best to just make myself as unnoticeable as possible so I pressed myself against the wall of his room and stayed silent.

"We just wanted to come and see how you're doing," Jamie said.

"I'm doing…okay, Jamie," Ian said. I could understand from his tone that he was only saying this because Jamie was there. I had a feeling that Jamie caught this too as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed, still watching Ian.

"It's going to work out okay, Ian. I know it will," Jamie said in a reassuring tone.

Ian sighed and sat up once again. His eyes slid over me as he turned to Jamie.

"I know, Jamie, I know. I'll just feel better when this is all over," Ian said.

"Well, that won't be too long. Mel said I can go on the raid with them to get Wanda a body. Are you going to come and pick it out?" Jamie asked. I sunk into the wall even more at the mention of my name.

"No, I don't think so, Jamie. I'm just going to stay here with Wanda. I don't care what she looks like," Ian said.

"Okay, then."

"Hey, has Jeb told the caves about everything, yet?" Ian asked.

"No, not yet. Jared just told us that he was planning to in about twenty minutes. Well, about fifteen minutes, now," Jamie replied.

"Oh. Are you two planning on going down?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not sure. I think we _should_, but its Mel's decision," Jamie said. At this, Ian turned to look at me, and I could see the question in his face.

"Well, I suppose Jamie is right. We probably should, just to get the awkwardness out of the way," I said.

"Yeah, it is awkward," Ian said, implying the statement to more than just telling the caves. It was awkward between _us_, but this was only to be expected.

"Are you going to go?" Jamie asked, and I wished he hadn't. Of course Ian wouldn't want to go listen to anything about my return.

Therefore, it surprised me when Ian replied, "Yeah, I'll go."

I looked at him, confused, but he didn't elaborate on his thoughts so I let it go. Perhaps, he didn't blame me for what happened with Wanda. Maybe Ian wouldn't hate me after all, but I mustn't get my hopes up. Who knew the reason behind this action? I could be reading the signals all wrong, and he really just wanted to go see other's reactions to me. Maybe he thought that Wanda's friends might hate me.

"Well, we have a good ten to fifteen minutes before we need to be there, so why don't we go grab some food first?" Jamie suggested. Ian and I agreed, so we went to the kitchens for a bite to eat, along with Wanda who was still in Ian's hands.


	8. Chapter 8: A Re Welcoming

**A/N: Since I got so many reviews within the first day of posting the chapter, I decided to start on the next. Here is a very awkward chapter of Jeb telling the caves about Wanda and Mel. Enjoy and please review! **

Ian, Jamie, and I were in the empty kitchen eating, when Jamie left for a moment to use the latrine. Ian was still being silent and a bit moody towards me until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you decide to come?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Listen, Ian. You've got to stop blaming me for what happened."

"I never said I was blaming you," Ian replied.

"Oh, you never said it, but that doesn't mean that you aren't," I said.

"You don't understand--," he began, but I interrupted.

"I don't understand what? What it's like to loose someone? What it's like to loose _everyone_? I do understand, Ian, and I'm sorry, but there is nothing more I can do," I said, almost to the point of shouting.

"I—I just—didn't mean—," Ian stuttered, his face in shock at my recent outburst. He gave up on his attempt to form words and stared down at his lap.

"I miss her too, Ian. I love her like a sister, and I think we are the only two people in the caves that _can_ understand how each other is doing because no one else loves Wanda like you and I," I said, "As much as I miss her though, I know that everything is going to work out once she gets a body. You need to stop being so emotional. You need to be strong for her when she comes back."

"I'm sorry," Ian said, "I guess I forgot that you love her too." We were both silent for a moment, focusing on eating, until Jamie came back into the kitchen with Jared. He had a strange look of wonder and suspicion when he walked over towards the table where we were eating.

"Hey Mel. Ian. I just got finished with Jeb and met up with Jamie while I was looking for you. Jeb will be talking to the caves in a few minutes, and Jamie said you were planning on going," Jared said.

"Yeah, I'm going," I agreed.

"We should probably get going, then," he said.

"Okay, I'm finished eating anyway," I said, standing up.

"Oh no, I'm not finished," Jamie said.

"That's okay, kid. You can bring your food with you," Jared said. Jamie gathered his food and walked with Jared, Ian, and I to the main hall. There were quite a few people gathered in the room, all muttering amongst themselves. There was an air of confusion, as the crowd speculated the meaning of this meeting. The four of us stayed towards the back of the room because I was worried about the gaping stares I was sure to see once Jeb broke the news.

Jeb cleared his throat and the room fell silent, all eyes on him.

"Well, you're probably all wondering why I called this little meeting. I think it'll be best to get it out, so I'm just going to be blunt. Wanda decided to give Melanie her body back, and she is going to get another body that is occupied by a soul. The soul will then be shipped off to another planet."

The room became impossibly quieter. A few people began to turn their heads, no doubt, looking for me. When enough people caught sight of me, whispers began to break out.

The awkwardness was growing until Jeb interrupted, "Well, the work isn't going to do itself, so after everyone has welcomed Melanie to the caves, I think it best if everyone gets back to their work."

I noticed a few people break free from the crowd. The first to come say hello were Wanda's friends. Trudy, Geoffrey, Lily, and Heath surprised me by giving me a warm welcome to the caves. I'm not sure what I expected, but looking back it was obvious that these people were the kindest of the caves. The crowd continued to unfold as the others passed by me on their way to the door to say hello. Ian left, still carrying Wanda, and headed back to his room to get a proper sleep.

Finally, only six people remained in the room: myself, Jamie, Jared, Jeb, Sharon, and Maggie. Sharon and Maggie obviously stayed back to speak to me, so I waved Jamie and Jeb on. Jared remained at my side, because I didn't want him to leave me.

Sharon was standing only a few feet from me with a pained expression on her face. After a few seconds of silence, tears began to fall from her eyes and she hugged me with all of her strength.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "It's all my fault. If you hadn't seen me in Chicago, you wouldn't have gotten caught. I'm sorry."

I pulled back and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Don't worry about it. Getting caught was one of the best things that could've happened to me. I mean, who knows what life would be like if it weren't for Wanda? Jamie would be dead. Jared would be dead. Seriously, don't worry. Things happen for a reason," I said.

Sharon didn't respond. She just held on to me until her mother came over.

"It's good to have you back, Mel," Aunt Maggie said. Even her strong eyes were watering up.

She hugged me too until I said, "This is silly. Everything worked out fine."

Sharon and Maggie each gave me one last hug before leaving the room. Now, it was just Jared and I. After I let out a huge yawn, Jared took me back to our room so I could get a good night's rest. I couldn't even remember when the last time I slept was.

"You need all the energy you can get. We have a lot to talk about and plan before the raid," Jared said as we climbed into bed. I sighed happily as I felt Jared's warm arm around me and the slight touch of his lips to my head.

"Good night, Jared."

"Good night, Mel. I love you."

"And I love you."


	9. Chapter 9: Plans

**A/N: Sorry for such a delay between chapters, but I was working on another project. But finally, here's chapter 9 of Tanked in Mel's point of view. Enjoy and please review.**

Jeb came into our room that morning to wake us up. He said there were many things to be discussed, and they shouldn't be put off for much longer. Jared and I dressed and made our way down to the hospital wing, where Jeb would be meeting us.

"Is it just me, or have we been spending way too much time down here?" I asked Jared as we walked through the tunnels, hand-in-hand.

"I agree. It's like the meeting place now. But I think that once Wanda's back, things will change."

We stepped into the strange, glowing light of the hospital to find Doc at his desk and Jeb and Mandy were sitting on the cots.

"Well, finally," Jeb said. "We have some things to talk about."

"Candy has been doing a lot of thinking, and she has unearthed some important information for us," Doc said excitedly.

"Candy?" Jared asked.

"I remembered my name, finally," _Candy_ said with a look of relief and triumph.

"And she remembered a few other things," Doc added.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Well, she has given me some information on certain medicines," Doc said, his eyes marveling. "Amazing, these medicines, and so simple to use, though it helps to have a former healer here to explain it exactly right." Candy shifted, slightly uncomfortable at the thought of being called a former healer.

"The only problem is that we are not in possession of these medicines, and that is where you guys come in," Jeb said.

"So you want us to go on a raid? Before or after the raid for Wanda?" Jared asked.

"Well, sort of during," Jeb said. "We can't have you go and come back before the raid for Wanda, because it would take to long, and I'm just not sure how much longer Ian can handle. But, you should go before because some of the medicines could be helpful for getting the body and inserting the soul."

"That sounds…reasonable enough," Jared said. "I still haven't had a chance to ask Ian or Kyle about going though, and I'm still not sure that bringing Jamie is the best idea…"

"I told him he could go," I said. "I'll watch after him. He'll be fine." I said this, trying to gain confidence in my own words.

"So, now for the medicine," Doc began, and launched into a long conversation about the raid. He told Jared every medicine he needed to get and Candy jumped in, explaining how to use a certain medicine called Still. This was a better alternative to chloroform, and would be harmless to the soul. Everything was harmless if made by souls. Once Doc had said and re-said the names of the medications, so much that it sounded like a chant, Jared and I set off to find Kyle and Ian.

Ian wasn't in his room where I expected to find him. He was in the dining hall, eating, like a human being. I was happy to see that he was acting normal or somewhat normal after seeing his empty eyes and dull expression. He couldn't truly be back to normal without Wanda, but it was nice to see him up and about, anyway.

He turned down the very idea of leaving the caves at the moment.

"I don't care what Wanda looks like. Pick whoever you want," he said when we asked him if he wanted to pick out Wanda's new body.

This shouldn't have been too surprising. He wouldn't be able to take the cryotank with him, and he surely wasn't going to leave it here, unattended, or attended for that matter. No one was allowed to touch it but him.

Kyle was excited by the idea of a raid now, but after seeing the look on Sunny's frightened face when he mentioned leaving the confined spaces of the caves, he reconsidered.

So, it was down to Jared, Jamie and I. With the new medicine, Still, we didn't need too much extra muscle, and if we did, Jamie was building up fairly nice.

The three of us met in mine and Jared's room to discuss a few last pieces of strategy, including Wanda's body.

"I think she needs to be someone really pretty, because Wanda just _seems_ pretty you know?" Jamie said.

"Yeah, and she needs to look innocent and trustworthy, so she can still get away with raiding," Jared added.

"That's all fine, but there is one main thing. We need to find someone sort of young, someone who has spent more years as a soul than as a human, so the human mind will really be lost. This is the most important thing to Wanda," I said.

The three of us got a good night's sleep. We were to set off in the morning since there was nothing left to discuss. Ian's eyes brightened just a tiny bit when we told him how soon he would see Wanda again. By the next night, at the very latest.


	10. Chapter 10: The Raid

**A/N: And finally, the raid, which is what most of you have been waiting for. This scene is quite a bit longer than usual because I just couldn't stop in the middle of it to start a new chapter. Well, I hope you enjoy it. Please review.**

"Wow, Jamie. You did great," I said, slightly panting, noting how fast Jamie could run now. He didn't have much trouble when it came to keeping up.

"Always the tone of surprise," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Jared didn't waste time for chatting. He set up the Jeep and started driving. One of the biggest points in our planning was distance. We had to be far away from Arizona to get the body to remain inconspicuous. None of us had the safety of silver eyes to prevent getting caught. We planned on driving north for 20 hours before taking a break and doing the raid for medicine. Then, we were going to drive another 3 or 4 hours away to find Wanda's body. We had all agreed to take as long as we needed to find a body. This wasn't a matter that any of us were going to do lightly.

It didn't take long for Jamie to pass out in the backseat. His excitement wore off and he got tired of the boring, desert landscape. I was reveling in the memories. I was gazing through the window at the beautiful scenery for hours before I blinked a moment too long and when my eyes opened, the sky had changed from the dim light of dawn to the brightness of midday.

"How long was I asleep?" I whispered to Jared

"Only a few hours," he said in regular volume. I looked back to see Jamie wide-awake. It wasn't long before Jamie got hungry and I opened the bag of food and water I brought.

The three of us chatted, and played car games. It reminded me of what life could have been like, how it would be if life was normal. But, life couldn't be normal for humans. That much was taken away from us, but we could pretend for the next 16 hours, and we did. It took a long time, since we were going the speed limit, but we were somewhere in Washington when Jared said it was time to go into town and find a hospital.

We became a lot more careful and quieter. We drove around for about 30 minutes before we found one of those signs with a big "H" from human times, indicating a hospital at the next exit of the freeway.

Jared pulled around to the back where we saw the large crates with medicines and cryotanks. It was currently empty of pick-up or drop-off trucks. Jared and Jamie waited outside of the truck. We had an assembly line going. I grabbed a bag and filled it with medicines. We got the usual, Heal, Cool, Clean, Inside Clean, etc. and some new ones like Awake, Still, etc. I got a lot of Still because we were going to need to give Wanda's new body a spray every hour to keep her sedated. Once the bag was full I ran back and passed it off to Jared who handed me another bag to fill. Jared then passed the bag to Jamie who emptied it in the Jeep and handed it back to Jared so he could give it to me. We kept this going until the backseat floor of the Jeep was almost overflowing and I didn't think it would be too smart to push our luck any farther.

Triumphantly, we climbed back into the Jeep and set off again. We got enough medicine to last a while. Jamie and I observed all of the different names and made guesses on those that we didn't know.

Jared drove around for an hour or so until he found a deserted, secluded place to park the jeep and rest. I decided to stay awake while Jared and Jamie slept. I didn't need the rest, and Jared obviously did. He just about collapsed on the ground once he climbed out of the Jeep. I sat with my back against the tire and let my mind wander.

A while after we stopped, the sun began to rise, and Jared told me earlier to wake him up at that time, but he needed a few more hours of sleep. I was fine being on watch. I got a little bit drowsy just sitting there, but nothing unmanageable.

Once I decided that it was time to leave, I woke them up. Jared wasn't happy that I waited, but he didn't complain too much. We ate before packing up and heading back to civilization. After about 4 hours of driving, it was 1:00 in the afternoon and we were ready to begin our mission.

We drove around neighborhoods and parks to find people who were alone outside. We saw men, children, older ladies, and a few younger ones, but none of them were right for Wanda. One girl around the age of 20 had pitch black hair and an olive complexion, but Jamie thought she didn't look _soft_ enough for Wanda. Another girl had bright red hair and vivid green eyes, but she looked like she might me too old to fit the soul to human year ratio. It was dusk when we stumbled across a girl walking along an unpopulated street.

"Oooh," Jamie exclaimed. "Look at her!"

"What do you think Jared?" I asked.

"She seems…right."

"Doesn't it just look like Wanda? She's so pretty, and she just looks nice," Jamie said.

"I don't think anyone could ever distrust that face. Anyone who sees her would naturally want to protect her, because she doesn't look dangerous. It is perfect for her," Jared said.

"What do you think Jamie? Is this the one?" I asked.

"I think so," he said excitedly, "But what now?"

Before I began talking I made a mental note of a nearby street for some reality when I was going to lure her away. "Okay. Pull into that alley, Jared. I'll be the one to approach her," I said quickly, "And I'll try to lure her into here. If I can't do it immediately, come after me. I don't know how long it will be before it's too late and someone else decides to take a stroll on this street. Remember, let's try not to scare her. We don't want that last memory to be too terrible." Jared pulled over and I got out of the car.

"Excuse me?" I asked as I walked over to the girl. She turned to look at me.

"Hi," she said in a high, childish voice.

"Hello. My name is Melanie," I said, smiling. I figured it would be best to act like a soul for as long as possible, so I tried to be kind and unstartling. How long that would last, I wasn't sure. "I'm new in town and…I think I'm lost." Lying was too easy.

"Oh! Where are you trying to go? I'll take you. Our car is just back—" The nicer she was, the more I was beginning to feel bad for her. I made a mental note to send her someplace nice.

"No, it's not far. I was going for a walk, but now I can't find my way back to Becker Street."

"You're very close. It's just around the second corner up that way, but you can cut right through this little alley here. It takes you straight there," she said.

"Could you show me?" I asked. "I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Of course," she smiled pleasantly at me. "Come with me. I'm Petals Open to the Moon, but my family mostly calls me Pet. Where are you from, Melanie?"

"Do you mean San Diego or the Singing World, Pet?" I asked, laughing as I named one of Wanda's previous homes.

"Either one." She joined in my laughing. "There are two Bats on this street. They live in that yellow house with the pine trees."

"I'll have to say hello," I murmured. I heard a shuffling noise behind me. Jared probably got too impatient with the small talk. I turned to look at the alley where they were waiting. Jared began walking over, focused. Jamie was following close behind, looking excited and nervous.

"These are my friends, Pet," I said soothingly, trying to keep her calm.

"Oh! Oh, hello." She reaches out to shake Jared's hand. He jerked her to his body and I flinched, hoping he would be gentle. His other hand swung toward her face, like he was about to punch her, but he sprayed the Still in her face.

She gasped the air and began to speak, "Wha—"

Her body fell limp in Jared's arms and he flung her over his shoulder. The three of us ran to the Jeep and set off for home. Jamie was a little creeped out by the fact that he was sitting next to an unconscious girl, but he got through it and was able to sleep on the way back. I took one glance back at Pet before I fell asleep. She looked so peaceful, beautiful, and kind. She was perfect.


	11. Chapter 11: Re Inserted

**A/N: Here is the final chapter of Tanked in Ian's point of view. The response from this story has been amazing and I really want to thank all of those who added my story to their alerts and favorites, and especially those who reviewed. I hope everyone liked my story. Please enjoy the last chapter and review on the story as a whole. Thanks.  
**

"They're back!" I heard someone yell as they ran through the hall near my room. The words jerked me awake like an alarm. I sprang to my feet, cryotank still in hand, and darted towards the entrance to the caves.

It seemed to take no time at all before I saw a small group of people crowded around Jared. He cradled a tiny body in his arms and my heart leaped. This was her. I looked down at the cryotank in my arms and back to the body. I could already picture Wanda animating the corpse.

The crowd parted once they saw me and I walked to Jared, who had stopped.

"Let me carry her," I said.

"I've got her," Jared said. "Plus, you can't carry the body and cryotank at the same time."

"Yes, I can," I insisted. "Give her to me."

Jared hesitated, but held the body away from his own, toward me. I held onto the cryotank firmly with my right hand and scooped my arms under Wanda's new body. When Jared let the weight fall into my arms, I could barely feel anything. This body was tiny and weightless, but beautiful. Just like Wanda herself.

Now everyone shifted to form a loose circle around me as we walked towards the hospital. People were murmuring quietly to each other, gazing at the body…Wanda's body.

Doc was sitting at his desk, chatting with Candy, when we approached. He jumped up and gazed at what I held in my arms.

"This is it? The body?" he asked.

"Yes," Jared replied. "We just gave her a whiff of Still about twenty minutes ago, so you have about forty more before the sedation wears off."

"Well, then let's get started." Doc began getting ready as soon as I had placed the body on the cot, upside down. "Ian, get the cryotank ready."

"Wait," Melanie interrupted. "We have to wait once we take the soul out…at least as long as we did with Jodi. We don't Wanda to wake up with someone in her head again, do we?"

"She's right," I said. "We'll have to wait."

Waiting was agonizing. Doc had successfully removed the soul inhabiting the body and placed it in a cryotank on his desk. It was pure torture to sit here, watching Wanda's body's conditions decrease. The No Pain wouldn't let the body _feel_ that it was hungry, or that its body was becoming victim to atrophy, but that didn't stop the fact that it was happening.

I had learned to keep quiet because every time I made a comment about just inserting Wanda already, Melanie just about bit my head off. I didn't retaliate, though, because I could see that this was causing her as much pain as it was me. She was doing what Wanda wanted, though, so I had to accept her way of things, however much I didn't like it. I just sat in a chair next to her, memorizing every detail of her face. It was so beautiful and angelic. It fit Wanda perfectly.

After the longest 16 hours of my life, Melanie finally said, "Ok. We're ready."

I sighed in relief, knowing that seeing Wanda was only minutes away. Doc jumped up immediately and flipped Wanda over again. His tools were ready, each of the medicines lined up in the order he would need them. He took care of every last detail during the long wait.

"Okay, Ian. Open the cryotank. Once I cut the scar open and stop the blood from flowing, hand me Wanda," Doc said.

"No," I said. "I want to put her in there."

"I understand," Doc sighed. "All you need to do is take your left hand and open the gash in the back of her neck, then let Wanda slide off your hand, into the opening. Once she is completely inside, you're free to remove your hand as she attaches herself."

"All right. I'm ready," I said, opening the latch on the cryotank. Wanda slipped out, into my hand. Her body spun and twisted elegantly. She seemed to possess more beauty and grace than the other souls I had seen. She was special.

At that moment it didn't matter that humanity was an endangered species, or that the soul's presence was like a dark cloud over the rest of our lives. In my hands was the brightest silver lining to a cloud that I had ever seen.

I was lost in my own world that contained only Wanda and I when Doc brought me back to the surface.

"Ian?" he asked. "You should probably get going."

I came back to my senses and approached Wanda's body. I did just as Doc said, with him whispering little suggestiong as I inserted her, then watched Wanda twirl gracefully around the muscles and tendons of the neck, her many limbs were stretching far into the body until they were invisible. Once she seemed securely attached to the body, I stepped aside for Doc to finish his work.

I turned her body over once everything was finished and I already noticed her breathing was deeper.

All of a sudden, Wanda's face became alert and aware. Her reactions were changing from confusion to surprise to worry. I held both of her hands in mind, trying to be some source of comfort.

"What's going on?" I whispered, almost inaudibly.

"It's the first memory," Melanie replied just as quietly. "It's the last memory the previous owner of the body can remember. It shouldn't be too bad, not nearly as bad as it was when she entered my body." She shuddered at her last memory. I had heard the story of her suicide attempt. What a terrible first memory for Wanda to experience when coming to this world.

Finally, Wanda's features relaxed, but she was still quiet.

"Wanda? Can you hear me, Wanda?" Melanie asked. There was no response.

"Use the Awake," Candy suggested as she grabbed a white cylinder from Doc's desk, handing it to Doc.

He sprayed the mist in her face and she inhaled deeply.

"Wanderer? We're all waiting for you, honey. Open your eyes." I whispered to her ear. I touched my lips gently to hers, then to her eyelids. They began to flutter.

"She's waking up," Jamie said excitedly.

"Wanderer?" I said as I lifted my hand to her cheek. My hand seemed giant compared to her tiny face. Wanda moved to look into my eyes. There was no question that this was Wanda, the girl I loved. A different body didn't change the way I felt about her.

"Ian? Ian where am I?" she asked, in a high, but soft voice that matched how she looked. "_Who_ am I?" she added.

"You're you," I said simply. "And you're right where you belong." In the caves. With humans. With me. It was so obvious that this _was_ where she belonged.


End file.
